Chameleon color change: finally understood!

Ever wonder how chameleons do it? They can blend into the background or show bold, bright colors in response to a threat. Now, researchers have figured out their little secret- they stretch their skin cells, changing the wavelength of light reflected.

Check out the video in the link here to watch this amazing change. Previously, it was suggested that chameleons were able to move pigments in their skin cells around, but now it’s been shown that they stretch these cells to change colors.

It’s cool, and also relevant to us. It’s possible that understanding the mechanism behind chameleon color change could help researchers develop materials that change colors by stretching in a similar manner. Read more about this research here.